Mikhail Gorbachev and The End of Communism

Glasnost is a policy that the Soviet formed to discuss ways to improve their society. Perestroika is restructuring the Soviet economy. Mikhail Gorbachev announced a policy he created called Glasnost because he realized that economic and social reforms could not occur without a free flow of ideas and information. He encouraged the Soviet citizens to discuss ways to improve their society. This brought remarkable changes. Later now Gorbachev introduced an idea called perestroika which helped restructuring an economic. Gorbachev was one of the last leader of the Soviet Union. He was one of the youngest leader of the Soviet Union. It was not his goal to help end communism by opening the soviets citizens to help them out in their society. It Just happened. It changed to Capitalism.

Collapse of Communism

The Fall Communism was a big turning point in history. The collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe and in the USSR it happened because Capitalism came to Russia and the country got split up. Some people wanted Communism and others wanted Capitalism. When Communison was in control of Russia the people would be provided as long as they worked. Some people have to work harder to have money. Some people had to get high payed jobs now. People turned againist Commusion. Angry mods took down statues of Communist leaders were torn down. The People torn down the Berlin Wall down was to show that the Cold War ended with resulted in widespread chaos. Hundreds of people stormed to the wall with Hammers and attrack the wall to take it down. After the collapse of Communism the Soviet Union Collaped also.

Creation of Israel

Zionism was a Jewish Movement which lead to the development of the country of Israel. Their was many conflicts that occurred when Israel was created. The countries that surround Israel wanted to get this land and didn't want it to be independent country. Palestinians and Israelis didn't get along because they were both came from the same religious root named Abraham. They both calm that each has a rightful calm to the land and why the other does not have the rightful calm to the land.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

Apartheid is a system which the Bantu which are black, colored which are mixed and Indian did not share full rights of citizenship as the White minority. Nelson Mandela is a hero because he was a fighter, he did not wait for someone to come and help the people of South Africa fight off the system of Apartheid. He became a lifelong warrior in the battle to free South Africa. Nelson Mandela started out by being a leader in underground Political movement called the African National Congress. While Mandela was in prision he tried to help the people dto fight against Apartheid. He was set free and Apartheid ended and a few years later. He was award a nobel prize and he was elected President of South America. I think that The authors of these articles and sites were admired with Nelson Mandela because he was living in South Americas when this was happening and he did something instead of waiting for someone to do something.

African Independence

Africa changed so much in the 20 year period from 1955 to 1975. In 1955 Africa had very few independent countries. Many of Africa's countries were controlled by the Colonies. In 1975 most of Africa was Independent countries but there were three countries that were still controlled by the Colonies. Some of the Leaders that helped Africa get their independent was Kwame Nkrumah. He returned to the Gold Coast. He helped stage strikes and riots against the government. Kwame Nkrumah became the first minster and later the President of Ghana. Another Leader that helped Africa get their independent was Jomo Kenyatta became the President of the new anation of Kenya. He worked hared to unite the various ethnic and language groups in the country.

9th Grade Review - Neolithic Revolution

The Neolithic Revolution was a major turning point in human history. Before the Neolithic Revolution happened humans which were know as nomads will travel from place to place in a group of 20- 30 people. They will go hunting and they will gather food this was dangerous. But then the people started to settled down in one place which was sometimes near rivers and they will start to learn to grow crops and domesticate animals. This became known as the Neolithic Revolution. As they were settling down they created social classes, and discovered new things. The Neolithic farmers created calenders to keep track of when to plant and harvest there food. They also developed weapons to help them plant food.

The European Union

The European Union is an alliance that 25 nations of Europe joined together to secure a lasting peace between their countries was to unite then economically and politically. Their are many good thing that come out of this alliance of the European Union. One good thing that came out of this alliance was that the Europe Union now shared the same currency called Euro. Other good thing that come out of this alliance was that you can travel around Europe much easier. Before this alliance was formed you had to show your passport at the border so you can travel between countries. This made it easier for European citizens and business that can ship products freely between the European Union. The last good thing that come out of this alliance was that the people that lived in the European Union can work freely in other European Union. This was impossible 10 years ago and now that the European Union has it's own parliament, military, various organizations and committees that help maintain cooperation and trade between the European Union. This European Union was formed so the European Nations will bound together economically, politically , socially and militarily. The chance of these nation going to war again is very slim.

Film Lesson - "The Right Stuff"

The US(United States) and the USSR(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) were competing in the Film "The Right Stuff". The US and the USSR were competing the space race. The space race was a competition between the US and USSR. They competed to explore the outer space, who put the first satellites, The first human in space, and the first to land on the moon. By the looks of things the USSR was winning the competition but then the US started to catch up. The first person to put the satellite in space was The USSR and then soon after the US did. The US was the first person to send a monkey into space, but The USSR was the first person to send a human into space. The US was the first person to explore the outer space and the US was the first human to land on the moon. This space race was happening during the Cold War. The space war became important part of cultural, technological, and ideological rivalry between the US and the USSR during the Cold War.

Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis is considered to be the hottest moment in the Cold War. The Cuban Missile Crisis happened during the Cold War. It was between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was the hottest moment in the Cold War because it was the closet the World has ever come to having a nuclear war. The Soviet Union was placing missiles installations in Cuba quickly and secretly. Then photographs were discovered what the Soviet Union was doing and the next morning President John F. Kennedy was informed what the Soviet Union was during in Cuba. The President organized a group of twelve important advisors to handle the crisis. After the President organized the group to handle the crisis the President announced to the public about the discover of out the Soviet Union was doing. He made his decision to quarantine the island of Cuba and demanding the Soviet Union to remove all their weapons out of Cuba. The tension between the Soviet Union and The United States became to rise. Finally the United States and Soviet Union came to an agreement. The Soviet Union will take the weapons out of Cuba and return it back to Russia like the United States wanted. The United States was not to invade Cuba.

NATO and The Warsaw Pact

North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) was a organization that was formed by some of the European countries and North America. The main reason they formed this organization was so the countries involved wanted a mutual defense so if one of the countries get attack. All the countries that are in this organization will come and help out the country that is being attacked.


The Warsaw Pact was also an organization the was formed by the Soviet Union and their satellite countries. The main reason they formed this organization was to counter the alliance made by the NATO organization. They wanted to have a mutual defense like the organization of NATO.

Film Lesson: "Night and Fog"

My reaction to the film "Night and Fog" that it was not that strong of a film but the pictures that they showed were strong to see. Some of the this film was similar to the scenes in Schindler's list. The similar scenes that both films share is that both films showed what happened to the Jews during the Holocaust. It showed how they killed the people and the bodies lay on the floor in Schindler's list and in the film Night and Fog they showed pictures of the bodies. I think that the Hollywood verison illustrated the Holocaust better than the documentary because in the documentary it showed you pictures, little parts of film that was filmed during that time and how it looked after the Holocaust and the people went to the places and found dead bodies everywhere and they have to clean up the dead bodies. I think that the Hollywood verison illustrated the Holocaust better because it showed you want happened during the time of the Holocaust and what happened to the Jews, what bad things the Nazi didn't to them, It showed the Nazi telling and kicking the Jews out of there homes and putting them into Ghetto. Then From the Ghetto into Labor camps. Then From the Labor camps to Auschwitiz.

Film Lesson: "Schindler's List"

Schindler's list illustrated the Holocaust in a very powerful way. This movie showed what had to the Jews during a certain period of time called the Holocaust. In this film there were many powerful scenes to see as a viewer. The killing of Jews if there were not health to work. The children were killed so they will not create the next generation of Jews and they were also killed because there were to young to work. Jews had to burn the Jews that were killed. Which ashes were found everywhere. They were not treated the right way by the Nazi. They will not there hair like it was a joke. The Nazi tried to separate the mothers and the kids so the kids can be shoot by the Nazi. When the Jews tried to run away and when there are caught or when they are running they were shoot by the Nazi. When the Nazi kick the Jews out for there homes so they can be places into the Ghettos. When they were walking to the Ghetto People yelled at them and they threw things at them. Images the will stay with me is the scenes that the Nazi were shooting the Jews and the children because it looked like they had no hearts they are just killing them like it was nothing. Which was sad because they looked like they had no hearts.

US Atomic Bombing of Japan in 1945

I agree that the US Atomic Bombing of Japan is the #1 new story of the century because it was a big that happened during that time. Many people were shocked that The US used two nuclear bombs to end the war. Many people died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki that were not fighting in the war died which were women, children, and men who were not fighting in the war. Years after the bombs were dropped in Japan many were still dieing because of the radiation they got that was left by the bombs. Many people believed it was a very barbaric action they did. They gave no warning the they were going to drop the first bomb. A few days later they drop the second without warning because they didn't want to surrender to the US. In my opinion I would change some of the things on the list because I fell that some thing were more of a bigger news then other things.

Germany at War- WWII

Propaganda is like a poster with information, ideas, rumors, to spread to help or harm a person or event. Sometimes propaganda are not true it is just people saying things so you can join them and help them with what there are doing. Sometimes it help and sometimes it can harm people. I think this poster is saying that Europe will be winners the other countries to the east of them. I am also thinking that Germany is saying that they can beat Russia and take control of Russia. I think this poster is saying that Hitler changed his mind and decided to attack Russia and there dictator Mussolini.

The Treaty of Versailles (ended WW I)

The Treaty of Versailles affected Germany at the end of World War I really badly. Germany got blamed for starting World War I. Germany was forced to pay for the damage in the war. Germany lost some of there land. Germany was forced to give up there overseas colonies and they were given to the allies. The people of Germany were angry with the Treaty of Versailles. They believe that the terms were unfair to Germany. Some historians believed that the Treaty of Versailles led to the Fascism and Adolph Hitler because Germany was in trouble with what happened to them after the World War I was the Treaty of Versailles. A few years later Adolph Hitler and his party take control of Germany. Adolph Hitler became a dictator and a leader with complete control.

Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) and the Modernization of Turkey

Mustafa Kemal (aka Ataturk) modernized Turkey and made it more secular in many ways. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the founder of the Turkish Republic and also became it's first President. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk wanted to modernized Turkey. To achieve his goal of transforming Turkey into a modern nation, he ushered a few reforms. One Reform was to separate the laws of Islam from the laws of the nation. A second Reform was abolished religious courts and created a new legal system based on European laws. A three Reform was to grant women the right to vote and to hold public office. The Forth and finally Reform was to launch government- funded programs to industrialize Turkey and to spur economic growth. The definition of secular "is of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred."

Film Lesson: "Gandhi"

Gandhi helped his nation of India gain Independence From Great Britain in many different ways. One way Gandhi believe of India gaining Independence was by telling his followers not to buy salt from Great Britain. He traveled with others to the Indian sea to make there own salt. So they don't need to buy the salt from Great Britain. Another way was that Gandhi told his people that they should burn all the clothes they brought from Great Britain. He told his people that he should spin there own clothes. So the people of India Burn the clothes and they started to the spin there own clothes. Gandhi had a philosophy of non-violence he used it effectively one example was that he said that he will not eat food until the violence stop. The people in India were fighting and Gandhi did like it. So he stoped eating until the violence stop. The people of India stoped the violence and Gandhi ate.